The adventures of Karrigan continue in this 800 page epic fantasy. I wasn't sure what to expect after the time travelling episode of the previous title, but Britain returns the reader to Sarcordia on the verge of war with the Second Empire. Still grieving after her losses in Mirror Sight, Karrigan and her companions go on a diplomatic mission that puts them straight into the path of treachery and an opportunity to end the war before it begins. It was nice to see a bit more about the Eletians too. I would not recommend starting with this title if you haven't read the series, but if you like high fantasy and aren't intimidated by lengthy books, pleade oick up Green Rider.

THIS is the Green Rider book I hoped for after the last one. Thank you, Kristen! I could not have been more excited to have this book in my hands (well, my Kindle Fire in my hands since I received it as an eARC), and I absolutely could not stop reading this book! After the disappointment that was "Mirror Sight", I was eager to get my hands on "Firebrand" in hopes that everything that disappointed me in "Mirror Sight" would be remedied, and let me tell you it was. Even if you don’t feel the same way I do about the previous book, you will be thrilled to read this book!

Normally, I don’t like the flip-flopping of multiple POVs, especially when there are a vast amount of characters, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by this and actually desiring more POVs for certain characters *coughZacharycough*. It really should be no surprise that I’m a HUGE Karigan/Zachary shipper, so the events of the last book left me crushed. In regards to that, this book tempted and teased you in the best way possible.

World-building: Amazinggggg. As always. I loved the snippets we get into the Second Empire. They make me nervous, and while my nerves were quelled for the time being, I became apprehensive about other things (for obvious reasons). I also liked how we learned a bit more of the mythical Eletians, and how these things that were once thought to be lost forever or just myth have come to pass. It foreshadows so many potential things.

Characters: The thing about this book, there aren’t any characters I don’t like. I may feel…uncomfortable when it comes to certain characters, but I even actually like Estora despite the crap that happened in the last book. She’s kind, and she proves herself multiple times over in this book. I really can’t hate her besides the fact that she’s married to Zachary. *cries* I loved diving deeper into Karigan and Estral’s friendship. #friendshipgoals I love how the two are able to speak honestly to one another, especially as that seems to be a fault of Karigan’s–keeping things to herself. Also, can I have more of Zachary, please? What’s not to like about this guy, really? I absolutely feel for him. He never wanted to be king–or expected to be–so to read about his internal struggle, his conflicting feelings for Estora and Karigan, it hurts my heart! His desire to protect his country and its citizens at all cost is admirable, and I could never bring myself to dislike him.

As for Enver… Well, okay, so I liked him in the beginning, but almost feral-like protectiveness he develops for Karigan disturbs me. I won’t say why, but if you’ve read the book, you’ll understand. Maybe it’s because I don’t like anything getting between Karigan and Zachary but still, lol. I did like how helpful Enver proved himself as an asset over the course of the book, and I’m hoping this “growing” he’s doing will pass with someone else.

I do wonder, however, how much a bigger role Anna will play. She seems like a nice enough girl for sure, but… I’m not sure how I feel about her intrusiveness into the Green Riders. I didn’t mind reading chapters in her POV, as she seemed genuinely to care for the Riders and the queen, but bringing characters like this into the series so late, it makes me skeptical.

I will say, too, that I disliked how attached Karigan seemed to Cade. I didn’t understand their romantic feelings for one another in the previous book, and I saw Cade as an outlet for Karigan’s feelings for Zachary. I do love how powerful Karigan has become, but sometimes I wonder if the way things ended…was too easy. That might seem quite harsh considering what Karigan went through, and I know she would go through it a thousand times over than betray her king. However, I can relate a bit to her dark feelings and how she wanted to give up.

I devoured this book. If you’ve been waiting for something–anything–to happen between Karigan and Zachary, this book won’t disappoint you. If you’re afraid it might be lacking in the way Mirror Sight did, you’ll be glad to read this book. My main concern right now is this: it’s been stated by an Eletian that Karigan is not bound to this world and belongs to no one, but her connection with Zachary is undeniable strong in more than just the physical sense. What does the author mean by teasing is with their romantic feelings, if it won’t turn into anything? Also, I get this strange feeling that Karigan may not make it in the end, if you catch my meaning.

Also, I very much teared up at any scene between Zachary and Karigan, especially in the final 1/4 of the book.

Ah, now to wait a bajillion years for the next book! *dies*

At long last, Firebrand has arrived. The Green Rider series is a series I adore. It's also a series I've been reading since high school, and I'm now in my early 30s. Britain has been writing the series for almost 20 years (the first book came out in 1998), and the waits for new installments can run anywhere from 3-5 years, which is somewhat frustrating when the books occasionally end in cliffhangers (but almost always exciting and satisfying when the next book is released). The good news is, if you've never read Green Rider, now is a good time to start as you'll have 6 somewhat lengthy tomes to keep you occupied as we wait another few years for #7. Reviewing this book without being spoiler-y will be tricksy, but I really want to review it well...and perhaps lure new fans to start reading from book #1 (which is pretty necessary to fully understand the series).
The series follows Karigan G'ladheon. At the beginning of the series, Karigan is a teenaged schoolgirl headed home to her father after being expelled for hitting a noble student at her school. On her way, she encounters a Green Rider, part of the king's messenger service, who is dying and tasks her with bringing his message to the king. By agreeing, Karigan is swept up in a whirlwind of magic and mythology and adventure...and her life is never the same. Firebrand is the newest addition to Karigan's adventures, and we're now several years removed from her entrance to the Rider service. Here, threats to the kingdom abound from an ancient civilization, Karigan is tasked with a diplomatic mission, the king is kidnapped...and many other strange and wonderful things happen.

Firebrand is my new favorite book in the series. I always inhale the increasingly longer books in the series...and I finished the 784 pages in under a week, and the last 50% or so in one day. I was a little skeptical going in about how I'd feel about it, given that book #5 was my least favorite in the series so far (it wasn't a bad book, but I get hung up on my OTPs).  I'm glad, however, to say this book was pleasantly satisfying. First, I enjoy the use of multiple viewpoints, though at times it's frustrating because you just want EVERYONE to know everything you know, but alas, that's part of the fun. The viewpoints are also really varied here, from royal servants to an ice monster to Karigan and King Zachary. So much about the series and its characters is shrouded in mystery and mythology and those were both at play full-force here as well. I love that the series has built such a rich mythology over its course, and I look forward to seeing it continue to develop.
The pacing was also really well done. Even chapters that aren't full of suspense don't feel wasted. There's plenty of combat and action...but there's also politics and quiet moments of love and tenderness, and I didn't want to miss any of it.  It was interesting to see Karigan working through so much inner turmoil, even as she had to hold it all together in the face of what's happening in her kingdom. I felt like I knew Karigan before, but I know her on a deeper level now. She's a very strong-willed character, and got some more depth  that was needed and much appreciated. I also appreciated the development of King Zachary's character throughout the book. I feel like this is the most readers have ever gotten from his point of view and I have an even deeper love for him now. I mean, I knew I liked him before...but now I love him, along with many other characters I've come to enjoy. Also, the world expanded even more and gave me new characters to get to know and love.
I will admit I was a fan of how the love triangle developed in this one, though it's still not completely satisfying. I was, however, dreading another book where my OTP dreams were completely thwarted, and was glad to see this was not the case. Britain has managed to create a love triangle over the course of the series in which you can feel for everyone, ...however, I'm still kind of heartless and have very strong opinions about how this one should go, and progress has been painstakingly slow. See, the author made a mistake of a very interesting vision in the first book...and I have clung to that vision throughout the series, feeling like someday all my dreams for my OTP would come to fruition...and they're now closer than ever before...and yet still so far away.
Obviously, this series is near and dear to my heart if it can instill so many feelings.

Finally, I loved that this book felt both a closure to previous adventures, but a new beginning too. There was enough closure on previous storylines to make the wait for #7 bearable...but the closure was not complete. There's still danger hanging over the kingdom and my beloved characters, but it still feels like there's hope. There's hope for healing from lots of traumatic events, and hope for new things blooming, but also an edge of danger. There's so much magic in this world, and I can't wait to revisit again.

I kind of feel like this review is all over the place. I just have so many feels and it's very hard to communicate them as I just finished the book. What it boils down to is this: if you're a fantasy fan and haven't read the Green Rider series, you're missing out. Start with #1 and enjoy. If you're a loyal fan of the series, pick this up ASAP. You will enjoy it. It is satisfying, and will remind you of why you loved this world and these characters and their stories in the first place.


Note: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Firebrand is the sixth book in Britain’s Green Rider series. So: There are going to be major spoilers for the previous five books in this review. I will also say that you probably don’t want to dive into this book without having read the previous ones. If you haven’t read any of the Green Rider Series, stop reading this review right now and click here to find out where to start.

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Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way: it’s wonderful to be reading a Green Rider book again! Britain averages about three and half years between books, and the wait for a new one always seems interminable. Add that to the rather disappointing Mirror Sight (the last book in the series, not bad on its own merits but not really a Green Rider book), and it has been seven years since we last got to travel to Sacoridia.

This book takes place shortly after the events of Mirror Sight, and five years after the first book. Karrigan G’ladheon (one of my original favorite badass female characters) has returned from the dark future time with a shard of looking mask embedded in her eye. The Second Empire, led by creepy and cunning Grandmother, still threaten Sacoridia’s northern border. To prepare for war with the Second Empire, King Zachary and his Eletian allies decide to send a party to seek out the legendary P’ehdrose people and convince them to fight at their side. Though not yet recovered from her past ordeals, Karrigan is chosen to make the perilous journey. Meanwhile, Grandmother has unleased an elemental force against the Kingdom, one that puts the royal family in grave danger.

As a fan of the series, I must say that this was a very satisfying book. It was wonderful to enter back into Sarcoridia again, and to take up all the treads that had been left dangling in Blackveil (the fourth book), and not addressed at all in Mirror Sight. The events of this book mainly revolve around heroine Karrigan (naturally), her friend Estral the bard, and an Eletian named Enver (briefly introduced in the first book). Grandmother returns, as does her frankly disturbing granddaughter, Lala. the book unfolds in typical Green rider fashion, with disaster and happenstance radiating off the main storyline. Nothing in Kristen Britain’s universe ever goes as planned.

Britain’s main strength is, as always, her ability to create worlds and characters that resonate. The setting she has created in Sacoridia is vivid and believable, with a wondrous amount of depth, and layers enough to provide for many more novels. Her characters, especially her female characters, have grown and evolved through the events of five previous books. I am constantly amazed at the organic way Karrigan and her counterparts grow and change through the Green Rider novels. Even with characters like Queen Estora, who would be easy to turn into a two dimensional foil, or Grandmother, who could simply become another raving villain, are given a depth and breadth of character that is rare in any genre. Even those characters you don’t like, you wind up at least understanding.

If you have read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, you will more than likely enjoy this latest book. In light of that, if you haven’t read any in this series, this book is not for you. There is simply too much back story, and too much intricacy lost without having read the previous five novels. However, if you tend to enjoy fantasy, and are looking for a series with a plethora of strong female characters, and you want to edge away (sometimes far, far away) from the young adult genre, then this series will appeal to you. I highly recommend you pick up Green Rider and get started.

An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Firebrand will be available for purchase on February 28th, 2017.

Ermergerd it's amazing. Now I will suffer through a book hangover and attack all that homework I've been putting off to finish this book.

What to say, what to say? It's the 6th Green Rider book. No time travel. Happenings with all our favorite characters. Dealings with Second Empire. Swords. Magic. All the best weapons. An ice monster. Elatians. And it was only three years!!! Three years! Woohoo! Kristen Britain don't slow your roll!

As someone who's been a BIG fan since I read the first one back in 2002, I am still super excited. If it wasn't obvious, I loved it. Then again, I also loved Mirror Sight and everything else in the series.

Can't wait for the next one. Please only have me wait three years. I can wait that long.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Firebrand, the sixth book in Kristen Britain’s Green Rider series, drops next week, which means now is the time to convince y’all to dive into the world of Karigan G’ladheon, magical messenger to the high king of Sacordia. When we met her in the first book, 1998’s Green Rider, she had been expelled from school for scrapping with a well-connected aristocrat. Heading home to her prosperous burgher parents—and dreading the chewing out she’s going to receive—she runs into a dying Green Rider, one of the king’s elite messengers. With his final breaths, he asks her to deliver a message to the king, and another, more personal one to his lady love. Karigan dons the insignia of the Green Riders, swings up onto the dead Rider’s horse (who she amusingly calls Horse, until she learns his real name), and sets out to complete the Rider’s Task.

These are only her first steps on a long journey. Karigan soon finds herself battling monsters and befriending ghosts, embroiled in court politics and tracing the roads of her rough country. As a wealthy merchant’s daughter, she never imagined living a vagabond existence, invested with magics and a purpose that often runs contrary to her own desires. Being chosen as a Green Rider is not something you can shrug off like your morning classes. If you’ve yet to ride with her, here are six reasons you should step out onto that road, and into all the adventure that awaits.



Green Rider (Green Rider Series #1)
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The Green Riders
I absolutely love the Green Riders. They may seem a little like a magical post office—their purpose is, after all, largely about delivering messages—but they’re more like badass intelligence officers than letter carriers. Their leader, Captain Lauren Mapstone, is a winning mix of competence and compassion. Even if her actions often run counter to Karigan’s desires, Lauren’s commands are always understandable. Because the call to become a Rider is not something bestowed capriciously, despite Karigan’s seemingly haphazard beginnings with the messengers, Karigan’s colleagues are competent, likable people. In the second book, First Rider’s Call, we’re treated to the long history of the Green Riders, back to the very first, and it is complex and cool, wound up with the very founding of their country. (And honestly, the idea of a magical post office is charming all by itself.)



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The D’Yer Wall
If you’ve been jonesing for a big ole wall to read about while waiting for George R.R. Martin’s Winds of Winter to blow, let me introduce you to the D’Yer wall, built in antiquity to hold back the evil of Blackveil Forest from the rest of Sacordia. The wall is slowly failing, leaking strangeness into the borderlands. That, and a whole bunch of creatures with uncanny magic are actively working to break the wall. The work of the Green Riders (and others) to learn the wall’s history, understand its magic, and shore up its defenses is, in many ways, the driving force of the series. The D’Yer wall ends up being the fulcrum in a nation’s history, and Karigan is drawn there again and again.



Blackveil (Green Rider Series #4)
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Blackveil
I admit I like reading about creepy, evil lands, and Blackveil is the creepiest. Alongside her life as writer, Kristen Britain was previously a ranger with the National Parks Service, and her descriptions of the land—the play of the seasons upon it, and the moods of its creatures—has the feel of lived experience. She knows her stuff. The old saw is that you can tell a fantasy novel because it’ll open with a map, which the Green Rider series certainly does, but you don’t always get boots on the ground in the same tactile way. The strange creatures (groundmites, shudder) and creeping mist of the Blackveil provide top-notch atmospherics. When Karigan and her company strike out into Blackveil in the eponymous novel, they find more than they bargained for.



The High King's Tomb (Green Rider Series #3)
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The History of Sacordia
Despite taking place in a continuous present, one novel right after another, the series range far across the history of Sacordia. From the ghostly visions of Lil Ambriodhe in First Rider’s Call, to the millennia-old events found in Hadriax el Fex’s journals of the Long War, to the machinations of Grandmother and her Second Empire remnant in The High King’s Tomb, these books cover some serious ground. And that’s not even getting into the events of Mirror Sight, when Karigan is thrown 200 years into a dark future after an absolutely brutal cliffhanger. (But don’t worry, we get back to “now” in Firebrand!)



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King Zachary
I don’t think the love triangle as a concept is particularly beloved among readers, so pointing one out may not make my case. Nonetheless, the Green Rider series details a love triangle that will absolutely break your heart. Karigan, after committing fully to the Green Riders, gets to know the young King Zachary, and they knock sparks off one another. But for political reasons, Zachary ends up betrothed to the beautiful Lady Estora. Estora is a lovely person, a friend to Karigan despite Karigan’s occasional nasty jealousy. The most painful love triangles are ones where everyone involved is a decent person, and they are all committed to their duties despite their wayward hearts. There are no good choices here, only correct ones.

Just…Everything
The Green Rider series books offer just about everything a fan of high fantasy could hope for: court intrigue (but not too much of it); hardtack questing out into the hinterlands without your handkerchief; requited and unrequited love; hideous monsters; the long, skeletal arm of history; the all too present demands of duty and honor. Though Karigan G’ladheon is our heroine, she is just one in a growing cast of characters who people the nation of Sacordia, both past and present. You’ll want to meet them all.

Firebrand is available February 28.

Just a quick reminder that while my review is spoiler free for Firebrand, there are likely spoilers for the previous books.

There is something about returning to read a new book the Green Rider series that just makes me happy. Maybe it is because I this is one of the first series I read in the fantasy genre, but I just find them to be very addictive, comfort reads that make me want to curl up with it until I finish. This one was no exception.

With Firebrand, Karigan returns to her own time, so it includes many of our favorite characters from books past. I know not everyone was thrilled with the change in setting/characters/time period with the last book, though I personally really enjoyed it. For those that were less than thrilled, fear not, this book is much in line with the first 4 books in the series.

Karigan is distraught and heartbroken over leaving Cade behind. She misses him deeply and feels guilt over leaving him, not knowing if he is still alive or not. In some ways, it was overwhelming, and impacted her personality a bit. But not so much that I felt it overdone or a departure from how she should be. Poor Karigan finally found love with someone where there were no restraints, it was wonderful for her. At least not until she returned to her time.

For readers who may have found Karigan whiny in past books (not my word, but one I have seen mentioned), you may feel some of the same issues with this one. I can’t say for certain as I have always enjoyed Karigan, so it felt like a reasonable amount of upset. But this is Karigan, so you know she won’t let it keep her from doing her duty. She always finds a well of strength when needed, and it’s why I enjoy her so much. I also loved that with this book, she earns a new level of distinction amongst her peers. (Sorry, I won’t tell you what it is exactly, you’ll have to read it to find out)

It is not long until a mission comes up that requires Karigan and her unique abilities, which seems a good way to get her to focus on something other than her loss. This journey takes her toward enemy lines and is a mission that no one is sure can be completed. It’s a long-shot, but isn’t that what Karigan does best?

In the mean time, Grandmother is back and sets her evil, necromancy hands to work trying to upheave Sacoridia. The creature she resurrects is far more evil and destructive than is first apparent. It’s abilities cause serious upset in the palace. I have to admit, I was not expecting the twist that came from this and found it to be a great read. We also got to see King Zachary taken out of his element, pushed to new limits and be tested in ways he has never been before.

Speaking of Zachary, there was the continued romantic tension between Zachary and Karigan, you could feel his heart ache for her as she was aching for the loss of Cade. One of these days, I really hope that Britain allows Karigan to finding lasting happiness with someone, because I just don’t think her heart can take more heartbreak. King Zachary is the one I felt frustrated with at times as I wished he could just stop reopening old wounds and let her move on.

While bad things happen in the book, as usual, over all I leave the book feeling positive, even if I know there is more trouble ahead for the characters (which, yes, there is more trouble coming for Book 7. We got a very interesting glimpse of it in the end), but it’s never overwhelming, and it seems like there is always enough positive achieved that it overshadows everything else. Again, I am left waiting for the next installment so I can curl up again and enjoy the ride.

I read the first Green Rider book in 2001 when I was 13. Needless to say I'm no longer 13, but I still. love this series. I've spent the last week trying to figure out how to review this book. Not because I disliked it, but because I really did LOVE it, which makes it hard to review without spoilers. Admittedly I didn't love the last book, Mirror Sight, but that's more of a personal dislike of time travel novels where people only sort of remember what happens later rather than a judgement of the author's writing. The last book also makes more sense to me after reading this one. Firebrand reminds me of the earlier books in the series, whereas Blackveil and Mirror Sight were slightly different to me. In Firebrand, we go back to Karigan interacting with other Green Riders and characters at the castle rather than seeing them all act independently of each other. She creates the usual amount of chaos and can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. The interaction between Karigan and Estral is interesting, and something we haven't gotten a whole lot of in the past. We get some world building and character insight, which I really enjoyed. Karigan's mission to find the P'ehdrose starts normally enough and then goes a bit...sideways, to say the least. The eletians, as usual, are sort of a mystery and I had some serious questions about them by the end of the book. Firebrand answers some questions and leaves a fairly solid direction for the next book. Karigan really needs a vacation, but I suppose that wouldn't make for very exciting reading. She is still one of my favorite fantasy characters. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

This installment of Karigan's story more than makes up for the disappointment of Mirror Sight. Here we see Karigan as the adventurous and strong girl we originally got to know. This story takes us back to the first few books - there is danger and action, love, and humor. The story is moving along quickly, but once again we are left with a perfect cliff-hanger.